Towel-service machine.



RENEWED NOV-'4.19l8.

Patentd 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

[,p'JIIIIIImITf Y Wl T/I/ESSES.'

- ,4 TTHNEY R. DE BEHSAQUES.

TOWEL SERVICE MACHINE. APPLICATION F1150 1150.1. 1914. RENEWED Nov.4,19111.

2 SHEUSA SHEET 2'.

[[lulll 11 A' TTOH/VEY ROMAIN DE BERSAQUES, OF SEATTLE, XVASHINGTON.

- frownnsnnvron Miramare.l

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919..

implication med December 7, 1914, serial no. 875,827. Renewed November 4, 191e.' serial No. 261,169.

TofcZZ whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, ROMAIN DE BER' I SAQES, citizen of the United States, residy ing'at Seattle, in the county of King and 'State of Washington,- have invented a certainI new and useful Improvement inv Towel- Service Machines, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to improvements in machines for giving sanitary towel service, andthe object of my invention is lto provide a machine which shall be 'adapted .to actuate a bolt of toweling in such manner that successive-.clean ortions of it, each in the form oflo'ops may become accessible for service as a towel and then, -assuch '..clean portions are successively soiled, it shall be rolled up compactly, one portion after another, until the whole bolt is soiled whereupon it may be re- -5m`vedfrom the machine which then may be supplied with a clean bolt to be actuated in likjejmanner.

I accomplish this object by devices illus# trated in I'the accompanying drawings in Cwhich' Figure 1 is a of'aimachine embodying my invention as it would appear if the cove1` plates were removed; Fig. 2 is a view in vertical crosssection of the same on broken line B, Bof

my towel service machine i'n side elevation; Figf isa lview 1n vertical cross-section on ing* removed to better illustrate certain parts; Fig. 5 is an enlarg dV fragmentary sectional view on broken line Fig. 'san enlarged fragmentaryview in Cross-section on brokenv line E; E of Fig. 1, certain parts being 'shown in elevation; Fig. 7 is'a'n enlarged fragmentary View partly in cross-section and partly in elevation of a detailof my invention `and Fig. 8 is an end fiiilewfof a towel invention.

Referring to the drawings throughout which Alike reference numeals indicate like. paI'tS,"10"iS a casing within hich is'disposed the mechanismlof my towel service machine,

. thefnfumerals 11 and 12 vare doors 'that are hingedto the front side of thecasing 410 at itstop'-v and bottom edges respectively.

- Within the casing '10 and extending cross-l wi'se thereof anetwo towel rollers 13 and 14,

view in front elevationl lFigLwl, showing the actuating' mechanism of of Fig. 1; Fig. 4-Kis'an` broken line C, C of'Fig. 1, certain parts be.

roller embodied in mry respectively, and four feed rollers 15, 16, 17

the towel is wound on the roller 13 or 14 thus securing the towel to the roller.

AThe disposition of the towel20 about the several` rollers within my machine is clearly illustrated by the heavy broken line shown in Fig. ,3, such towel 20 being first wound about the roller 13 thence passed down- -wardly around the roller 15, thence upwardly over the roller 16, thence outwardly through a slot 23inthe'front of the casing 10 at the bottom of the door 11, thence it is permitted to hang downwardly andform a loop 24 for usevas a hand or face towel', thence it is passed upwardly' through a slot 25 and over the rgl'ler 18 thence downwardly l around the roller '17 and thence upwardly to be secured toiand wound about the roller 14 upon which roller 14 the soiled portion of the towel is wound as the clean portion'is" unwound from the roller 13, the several rollers andthe towel 20 moving a short distance each time the machine is started. v

The severalrollers 13 to318 inclusive are provided o n' each ehd with bearing studs 2,6 and slotted plates `and 28 are secured to the sides of the casing 10 to serve as journal plates for the studs 26 as clearly shown in' Fig. 3 whereby the -rollers easily may be removed.

Directly in Afront of the rollers 16 and 1S and secured to the doors 11 and 12, respectively, are springY pressed rollers 29 and 30 that are adapted to 16 and 13 firmly toI7 hold the towel against such rollers.

The stud 2G on one end of the roller` 14 is iattened and is vadapted to fit within a' slot disposed in the'fendofa shaft 31 that is journaled for rotation'in the side plate V 28 and the studs 2G on one end of each of the other rollers 13, 15, 16,17 and .18 are lattened and ada tetti,r to fit into the slotted ends of shafts simi ar' o the shaft 31, t

bear against the rollers y100'- The shaftBl is provided with a loosely mounted sleeve 32 that carries a ixedly se44 cured.worm-gearwheel that is adapted to be engaged by a worm 34 that is connected with a' motor whereby it may be driven.

The sleeve 32 has aratchet formed on one end thereof that is adapted to engage with a corresponding ratchet provided on a spring ressed sleeve 36 which sleeve 36 fis slidably astened to the shaft 31 by a slot and pinconnection, more clearly shown in Fig'. 6 whereby the roller 14 may be rotated .in one direction only t0 wind the towel 20-thereon, the ratchet teeth on the slee\'cs 32 and 33, respectively, sliding over each other in. case the direction r. rotation, of the motor is reversed.

The towel 20, as it is woun'd upon the roller 14 serves as a beltto rotate the rollers Y17 and 18 and the roller 17 is connected with l a shaft 37 upon which is securedl a sprocket l wheel 38 that is conneied by a sprocket chain 39. with another sprocket wheel 40 secured upon a shaft 41 that connects with the roller 16 whereby therollers 16 and 17 are causedto rotate at the saine rate of speed to unwind the same length of tow'eling y `the same length and the samev amount of toweling exposed at all times.

The rollers 15 and 18 are connected with shafts 42 and 43, respectively, and such shafts 42 and 43 are connected with thel shafts 41 and 37 respectively, by gearwheels 44, 45, 46 and 47 whereby all of the rollers 15, 16, 17 and 18 are caused to rotate atvthe same rate of speed.

` The motor 35 is connected with a battery 50 by electrical conductors 51 and 52, the conductors 51 terminating in a contact member 53 on a movable arm 54 and the conductor 52 terminating in a fixed contact member 55 whereby whenthe arm 54 is moved sidewise the contact between the members 53 and 55 vwill be broken thus breaking the circuit -formed by the conductors .51 and 52 and stopping the motor 35. i

The arm 54 is articulated with a sleeve 56 that is mounted on a pivot shaft 57 and has its top end flexiblysecured to the bottom end of a similar arm 58 that is articulated with a sleeve 159 that is mounted onva shaft 60 and the arms 54 and 58 are adapted to break 'the Contact between theV members 53 and 55 when they are moved out of alinement by a cam 62 that is provided on a shaft 63 which shaft -63 is resiliently mounted in the hollowhub of the gear wheel 64 and is adapted to be rotated by agearwheel 64. The gear wheel 64 is adapted to 'mesh with another gear-wheel 65 I rovid'ed ,on the shaft 42,7as Vmore clearly s ownin Figs. 2 and 5.

clean towel, preferably from one to two toet thereof, to be fed outwardly throllgh the slot 23 and an equal length of soiled towel to be drawn inwardly through the slot the motor 35 being again stopped by the ac- 54 and moves it to the position shown in Fig. 2, when the shaft 63 has made one `cc1nplete revolution the `amount of clean towel that is presented each time being ,governed by the relation of the gearwheels 64 and A ratchet wheel 69 is carried by the sleeve 32 and a similar jatcliet wheel 70 .is firovidedpn a shaft 7 with which the roller 13 is connected and pawls 7 2.and 73 are secured to the arms 54 yand 58and adapted, when such arms are moved by the cam 62 into the position shown in Fig. 2 and the meter '35 formed by the wires 51 and 52, to engage with the ratchet wheels 69 and 71H0 lock the rollers- 13 and` 14, a spring 74 beig attached to the -pawl 73 to bring the arms 54 and y58 into alinement when,they,are released from the cam 62' and to /withdraw l1Zhepawls 72 .and 73 from the ratchet wheels 69 and 70. y

To prevent unreeling the towel 20 from and then: pulling on the towel, incase the .circuit formed by the wires 51 and 521s broken or the motor 35 out of order, Iliave provided adjacent the slot 23 and in a po tion of the cam 62 which strikes the lever arm isstopped by the breaking of the circuit* ,the roller 13 by .pressing the push button 66 sition where the towel 20 passes thereover a spring` 'pressed locking plate 75 of a crosssectional sha e clearly shown in Fig. 3 n whlch locking plate 7 5A serves as a lever arm when a downward pull is exerted onv the towel 20and tauns a shaft 76 upon which it is secured. 'v f The shaft 76 extends through the wall of the casing 10 and has a crank armq77 secured to its outer end which crank arm 77 is `articulated with a U shaped link1`78, moreA` clearly shown in Fig. 4, that passes around the arm 54 whereby when the outer edgeof the plate 75 is depressed by pulling down'- wardly on the towel the arms 54 and 58 will be moved into the position shown' in Fig. 2

thus locking the rollers 13 and 14 and preventing `the't'oirvel from being unwound. 7 9- isl a spring 'pressed tension roller that is adapted to bear downwardly-ionthe roll '1257.5 of toweling on the roller 13, s'uch roller 7 ,v 4being,secured toa crankshaft.805.clearly Shawn in Fig. 1.,` and haagI adapted, when the towel is completely 'unwra' j dimm the roller y13, to drop downwar'l y i roller thus turning the shaft 89, the outer end 81 of which shaft 80 is formed L shaped and is interlocked with the peculiarlyshaped end 82 of a vertically disposedv shaft 83, as more clearly s hQwn in Fig. 7 ,in such manner that the shaft-83 is turned by the turning 'of the shaft 8p.

. "The lower end of the'shaft 83 is provided with an L shaped extension 84, more clearly shown in Fig. that bears against'th'e end of theshaft 63'to`move such shaft 63 and the cam'62 endwise and release the arm 54 to permitsuch arm 54 and the' arm 58`totbe moved sidcwise by pressure of the springs 67 and 6 8 and make contact between the members 53 and' 55 which contact may then :be broken onlyby lifting the roller 79 tol an elevated position as shown in Fig. 3, andq/ A ,moving the arm 54 so that it may again engage with such arm to move it outwardly and break the 'contactibetween the members 53 and 55, the object` of thus keeping the i circuit closed being to permit the end-,of the towel 20 to be entirely wound upon the roller 14 when it is free-from theroller 13.

lIn order thatthe circuit formed by the wires'51 and 52 may be broken when the towel 20 is completely wound upon the roller 141 have provi d on the shaft 31 a gearwheel 86 that is a 'apted to mesh with another gearwheel 87 that is rotatably,

'- mounted on an arm 38 whicharm is swingingly mounted on a shaft 89 and is a'dapted to be swung downwardly by the pressure of a spring 90 when the shaft 89 is released to' cause the gearwheels 86 and 8 7 'to mesh with eachother, such shaft 89 bein releasedby the turning movement of the s aft 80 when the roller 79 -is permitted to dropdownwardly, the shaft 80, as clearly shownA in- Fig. 3, being connected with the shaft 89,

. by the lever arm 91- on the shaft 8 0, the

i wardly projectin lever arm 92 onthe lshaft 89, and the cable i 5. .after it .has turne \the roller 14 suii- 'ciently to completely wind the last end of thefto'wel thereon, the gearwheel 87 being held in mesh with the gearwheel V86 and the circuit governe by the switch arm 'y remaining open un, the roller 79 has again' been raised, a sprin 96 Abeing associated with the gearwheel 8 to rotate such gear' wheel backwardly until the pin 94 strikes against the arm 88, the switch arm 95 being actuated by a spring 97 that causes 1t to removed out of mesh wit 1f desired a bell 98 :I1/ay be securedto the `casing lili as clearlyshown. in Fig. 2 and such bell may be rung by the blows 0f .a clapper 99, as a signal that the machine v1s: in operation, the clapper 99 being-witbdrawn` from the bell 98 by the action bf a 70 pin 100 that projects from the side of the gearwheel'44 and being actuated by a spring 101- to strllie a blow on thedbell 98 when it is released by the pin 100.

T o prevent the towel 20 being wound in 75A a wrong direction about the roller 13 and such roller13 from being rotated in a wrong direction. I have provided in the circuit formed'b'y .the conductor wires 51and 52,.

a switch 102that is adapted to be opened 80 and closedl by the movement of a switch arm 1-03that is fulcrumed on a pin 104 and is normally heldin contactby a spring 105,'

such switch arm being so disposed 1n the path of a pawl 106, ,thatis secured to the 875l ratchet.r wheel 70 asclearly shown in Fig.,f

2, that when the ratchet vwheel 70 is rotated backward or in a contra-clockwise direction the pawl 106 will engage with `the switch arm 103A to open the switch thus stopping 90 the motor 35 but when the ratchet wheel 70 is rotated in the right direction or clockwise, the "pawl 106 will be deflected and move past the end of the switch arm-103 without moving such 'switch arm. 95 l The operation of my towel .service machine maybe described as follows:

vThe machine is secured 13o/the' wall or placed upon a suitable sup ort in a place where towels 4areto `b'e supp ied to the pub- '100- l'ic, as in th'e toiletroom .of an hotel, and a strip .of towel fabric is wound on the roller 13. A

The outer end bf the towel fabric 20 is then drawn downwardlyaround the rollers 105 15' and 16 and outwardly through the slot 23 to form a loop of clean towellng outside of the casing 10 such end then being passed upwardly through the slot 25 laround the lrollers 17 and 18 and being secured to the 1140 roller 14 by passing the end thereof under the shaft 22 vand turning such roller suiliciently to wind one thickness of towel over :such shaft 22 to hold it down.

When the loop 24Aof toweling becomes 115 soiled from use any one desiring clean toweling may push the button 66 on the side of the casing 10 thus closing the electric circuit in which is' connected the motor 35 and causing such motor to -drive the herein- 1'. before described mechanism through a certainlpredetermined number of revolutions to feed out cleantoweling from the roller 13 andgwipdi irt the soiled toweling on the roller 14. 125

The towel 20 being one long strip and being secured at both ends can not be carried away land clean toweling isalways easily accessible to any one that wlshes 1t,

Whenl the toweling iss-entirely unwound v190 A lrom the roller y13 and woiindy oMt-hel'oller 14.- the rollers 13 and 14C may beeily taken out and the toweling removed 4'from the roller 14 and .eclean towel `wound on the roller 13. j y

Obviously vnumerous' changes lin the me# chemical ports of my device yrney be made without departing from the .spirit of myinvention'or sacrificing any ofitsadvaiitages, Whet Ileleim is:

. 1; In :i towel service machine ofthe 'class described, the combination with ,e casing that is provided with slots in its front side,

of e towel roller rotatably. mounted in the upper prtiop of ,saidv casing, another towel yroller rotatably .mounted in the lower por-,

tion of said casing, idler rollers disposed below each of said towel rollers, e motor connected with said lowermost towel roller, means connecting said lowermost towel `roller with each of seididler rollers, whereby lall of seid idler rollers may be caused to rotate at the same rate of speed to unwind e towel from .said uppermost towel roller at the 4seme rate of speed that said towel `is wound upon said lowermostV towel roller,

y andmeans for breaking the circuit of the "mossos 4motor when the towel is completely wound oh the receiving '.roller.

y 2. In a towel feeding machine, the combietioh with aczisihg, of zi towel roller for elezmV towel fabric rotatably mounted in said casing, e towel roller for soiled towel fabric `rotatably vmounted in said casing,

.mechanism for actuating seid towel rollers whereby successive short `lengthsmof"clean towel fabric from said first Hamed towel my name this 26th day ot' November ROMAIN DE BERSAQUES lyl/it-:oesses O. JOHNSON, F. C. MATHENY. 

